Typhoon Surigae became strongest-ever cyclone in April

Typhoon Surigae became strongest-ever cyclone in April Today’s Image of the Day from NASA Earth Observatory features Surigae, the first typhoon of the 2021 season in the northwest Pacific and the second named storm.

When Super Typhoon Surigae peaked at category 5 strength, it made history as the strongest tropical cyclone on record during the month of April in the Northern Hemisphere.

According to the U.S. Joint Typhoon Warning Center, the typhoon reached sustained winds of 190 miles per hour in the early afternoon on April 17. Typhoon Surigae, known in the Philippines as Typhoon Bising, is currently a powerful tropical cyclone east of the Philippines which recently became the strongest Northern Hemisphere tropical cyclone to form before the month of May and one of the most intense tropical cyclones on record.

The Japan Meteorological Agency reports that the central pressure inside the storm dropped to 895 millibars, which is one of the lowest readings ever recorded.

The typhoon did not make landfall, but its outer bands brought heavy rain, gusty winds, and coastal flooding to the central and northern Philippine islands. 

The infrared satellite image was captured on April 19, 2021 by the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) on NOAA-20. 

Image Credit: NASA Earth Observatory 

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By Chrissy Sexton, Earth.com Staff Writer